A. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process and apparatus for making clear ice cubes in conventional home refrigerators and freezers More particularly, this invention relates to such a process and apparatus for use in domestic freezers, utilizing multi-directional movement and an air-circulating fan for the rapid and efficient production of clear ice cubes.
B. Description of the Prior Art
It is generally known in the art that in conventional ice-makers, using molds and forms situated in freezer compartments, freezing water in a quiescent state permits dissolved gases to be entrapped within the ice cubes formed, reducing the clarity of the ice cubes. The art suggests a variety of methods to avoid this entrapment of gases, predominantly in large commercial ice-making apparatus.
To release entrapped gases, water has been kept in motion in commercial ice-makers with a pump which allows the water to circulate in a cascading manner over the evaporator containing the ice-forming cups during the freezing cycle. Pumps have also been used in other solutions to circulate the water by a continuous spray of water into the ice-forming cups during the ice cube freezing cycle. The art has also suggested keeping the water in motion through ultrasonic vibration, through rocking or oscillating movements about fixed pivots, and through the use of rotating paddles. To automatically harvest ice cubes, the art has also suggested a variety of mechanisms.
However, the art has been unsuccessful in providing a small, simple, efficient ice-maker for use in domestic refrigerators and freezers that is capable of efficiently making clear ice either manually or automatically.